A little boy weeps in a corner. His father towers over him menacingly as the shadows begin to creep closer and closer around them. The boy raised his head for a moment. His grey eyes quaked with fright as the imminent figure before him questioned him threateningly.

"Who is your family?"

"Malfoy."

"Who do you serve?"

"You, father. Only you."

"Good," said Lucius Malfoy softly, "remember it. Never doubt my judgement, for I am always in the right. Never defy me, Draco, remember that."

"I won't, father."

After a moment's hesitation, Draco looked around jerkily. "Where is my mother?"

"Your mother is away."

"I want my mother.Wait... no... father, I didn't mean..."

A slap echoed around them.

"You won't be seeing your mother for a while."

"No... father, no! Please! Let me see her! Is she alright? Did you hurt her too?"

Lucius raised his wand as Draco's arms shot up in defense.

"Father, please... NO!"

"Crucio..."

"NO!" Draco awoke with an abrupt start. Draco's eyes were wide open and beads of sweat crawled down his naked back. He realized he was still in Number 12 Grimmauld Place and in that filthy room with nothing to remind him of home but the green silken sheets he had brought along. He could hear each pant loudly but he couldn't stop. Sitting gingerly up, he heard the wooden floorboards outside his room creak. Draco took a deep breath and said, "What do you want?"

The door swung open and behind it stood Hermione Granger.

"What do you want, Granger?" he repeated.

Hermione cleared her throat.

"I heard a scream," she answered obediently. When Draco said nothing, she continued, "I can make you a Sleeping Draught. All the ingredients are downstairs. Harry needs a Sleeping Drought once in a---"

"No," answered Draco almost immediately.

"Fine." Hermione frowned at him, then unsure what to do, she moved towards the door. Right before she was about to step out, she turned again. Draco looked up at her from under the blonde hair that fell over his eyes.

"I heard you talking about your father. He was... he was punishing you for...for..."

"It's really none of your business, is it?" Draco eyed her accusingly.

"Draco, did your father force you to become a Death Eater?" Hermione wanted questions answered and she was determined to get them, even if it meant staying to hear all the snide comments he had to say about her. "Maybe... maybe we can help you."

"Stop it! Stop it, stop it, stop it!" Draco's fingers dug into head. When he looked up, anger was flashing in his eyes. "How dare you, you bloody harlot. How dare you pity me? You're Weasley's slut! You're the one who worships the memory of your cold, dead Headmaster! You're the Mudblood! Did you hear that? You're the damned Mudblood, Hermione!"

"Draco..." began Hermione cautiously.

"Malfoy!" bellowed Draco, "To you, I'm Malfoy!"

"You just called me Hermione."

Draco checked himself. She was right.

Damnit! How in tarnation am I going to survive it here?

When Draco didn't answer, Hermione smiled at him nervously.

"It's alright, Draco... you're part of the Order now. We all... help each other."

Poor Draco... You've had so much, but you've never really learned compassion.

"Don't do that," murmured Draco, calmed.

"What?" asked Hermione confused. She had to admit she was feeling more than reluctant to offer her services so readily, but helping him would be the right thing to do. The right thing...

" No, not that," Draco shook his head. " 'Oh poor Draco, so rich... so handsome... but so hurt deep inside. I think he needs some tender, loving care.'" Draco spat the last few words out. "I can't stand that."

Hermione didn't know what to say. She'd just thought out that sentence... well, not in those precise words of course, but something along those lines. Then she realized that...

"You... you can read minds?"

"Involuntarily, yeah..." admitted Draco, looking extremely annoyed, "when my dad taught me Occlumency, he figured I'd be obliged if he added another treat in the bag. It's been no fun, mind you. I mean, who wants to know about Snape's sexual fantasies with McGonagall?"

"No..." laughed Hermione, scandalized. "You can't be serious." Draco gave her a look. "Alright, alright, I believe you but..."

"Eeew!" they said in unison. Hermione out of sheer disgust and Draco just because he knew she was going to say that. Hermione gave a small laugh. It was a weird feeling, laughing with your sworn enemy. In spite of herself, Hermione started to wish that he was always like that. Then she saw the amused look on Draco's face and covered her mouth, knowing he'd just read her mind again. Hermione wavered helplessly.

"Well, try to sleep alright?" Finally, she walked out the room as she meant to do in the first place. She struggled to keep her mind blank until she was back in the room she shared with Ginny. Maybe she didn't get the answers tonight, but getting them tomorrow would be just as fine.

When Draco awoke again the next morning, the curtains were being drawn by a smiling Mrs.Weasley.

"It's late," she said, "There's breakfast downstairs. Don't worry, everyone's still waking up like yourself. Ron hasn't told me what you four were doing last night, but I was hoping you would?"

Draco was speechless. No one had ever smiled at him like that. He didn't know anyone could smile like that. His life had been made up of taking ridicule from his father and overindulgement from his mother, then at the end of the day, faking a smile in the presence of strangers' shadows. Lucius' Golden Boy. The Malfoy Boy.

"I... I was meeting a lady friend, then I... that is, I ran into them on the way back. I apologise I didn't take my leave with you first." Draco recovered his dignified voice. The one he used when his parents' friends were around.

"Oh, that's quite alright," said Mrs.Weasley warmly, "I'll let you change for breakfast then. My, the dust in here!"

Mrs.Weasley left the room, leaving Draco feeling somewhat confused..

Why are they all so bloody nice to me?

Draco slid out of bed and opened the closet. Looking out his window he observed that the weather was quite sunny. Draco found it strange that this time of morning seemed to be the only time of day when the streets of Grimmauld Place were noiseless. He chose a pair of Versace jeans and a white buttoned shirt, the sleeves of which he rolled up casually. He didn't have a mirror in the room, but he knew he looked brilliant. Then he thought about the type of clothes Harry and Ron wore and frowned. He couldn't believe it, but he knew he would feel overdressed even just in his casual Muggle-wear. Draco entered the closet with his back against the clothes and gave the sliding door a tap with his wand. Then he swerved around and the closet and turned into a whole room. He didn't look perturbed at all. Draco made his way towards the t-shirts. He chose an Armani Exchange orange t-shirt and an un-buttoned, olive green, collared shirt over it. The combo looked absobloodylutely spiffing with his jeans. On a shelf a little further away, he picked "Bangkok," a Swarovski anti-allergic crystal watch. To complete it all he wore his customized nikes. Draco didn't think he could look less like himself, but he knew he looked good.

Better skip the gel...

Finally, Draco was out of the closet and walking down the stairs. Harry was eating his French toast, Ron was devouring left-overs from last night and Hermione wasn't looking at him. Ginny moved out the kitchen with her own plate of French toast as Draco took his seat.

"Ginny, can you pass me the eggs?"

Ginny stared at him. Then after a pause, she held out the plate of scrambled eggs.

"Sausages, Malfoy?" she asked stonily. Draco observed that she held her arm out as far as she could.

"Er...yes," Draco stood to reach over the other side of the table, but Hermione stood first and took the plates for him, "Thanks... Hermione," he said forcefully. Hermione gave him a short tight-lipped smile.

Harry and Ron were eyeing them both suspiciously.

Nothing wrong about calling people by their real names, is there?

"I'm going to Diagon Alley to pick up a few things, do you children want to come?" asked Mrs.Weasley joining the table.

Harry and Ron exchanged a look.

"Really, mum... children?" Ron rolled his eyes.

"Well, do you or don't you?"

A chorus of "yes"s and "bloody hell, yeah"s occured.

"After breakfast then," said Mrs.Weasley, "And you had better help clean up today, Ron."

Author's Note: This was a revised chapter (had to tone down the Draco/Hermione scene) and the longest chapter yet! I hope you all liked it. There was supposed to be more into it, but I don't have time to write anymore and I haven't updated in about two days so I figured I'd better update now. Please take the time to review, and thank you to those who have. I'd appreciate reviews for every chapter by the way. Well, have a nice day! ...Miss Extraordinary